If you’re older and struggling to maintain good blood pressure, or hate the idea of taking drugs to treat your hypertension, there’s something easy you can do that may lower it within two weeks.
And that’s to drink beet juice.
But just how might this work? A study took a look at this.
The blood pressure-lowering effects of beetroot juice in older adults might be linked to changes in the bacteria in their mouths.
Scientists at the University of Exeter compared how older adults responded to nitrate-rich beetroot juice versus younger adults.
Previous studies have shown that a diet that’s high in nitrates can help lower blood pressure.
Nitrates are naturally found in vegetables, and they play an important role in the body.
How the Study Was Done
In this study, older participants drank a concentrated beetroot juice “shot” twice a day for two weeks.
After that period, their blood pressure dropped. Interestingly, younger participants didn’t see the same effect.
The study included 39 adults under 30 and 36 adults in their 60s and 70s.
Participants took beetroot juice with high nitrate levels for two weeks, and for comparison, a placebo juice with the nitrate removed for another two weeks.
Between the two periods, there was a “washout” phase to reset things.
Researchers then used bacterial gene sequencing to see which bacteria were in the mouth before and after each phase.
Both age groups experienced changes in their oral microbiome after drinking the nitrate-rich juice, but the older group showed some particularly interesting shifts.
They had a noticeable drop in bacteria called Prevotella, which can be harmful, and a boost in beneficial bacteria like Neisseria.
The older group also started with higher blood pressure, which decreased after taking the nitrate-rich juice, but not after the placebo. This shows the effect wasn’t just a coincidence.
The study suggests nitrate-rich foods can influence the oral microbiome in a way that reduces inflammation and helps lower blood pressure in older adults.
When the mix of bacteria shifts toward a healthier balance, the body can more efficiently convert nitrate from food into nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide helps blood vessels relax and keeps blood pressure in check.
Senior age people naturally produce less nitric oxide as they age.
The study is published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
What if you don’t like beets?
If beetroot isn’t appealing, there are other nitrate-rich options like spinach, fennel, celery and kale.
